“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,^(A)
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice,^(A) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹¹ “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(A)
I have no pleasure^(B)
    in the blood of bulls^(C) and lambs and goats.^(D)

²⁰ What do I care about incense from Sheba^(A)
    or sweet calamus^(B) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;^(C)
    your sacrifices^(D) do not please me.”^(E)

²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings^(A) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.^(B)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.^(C)

⁶ With what shall I come before^(A) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?^(B)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,^(C)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?^(D)
Shall I offer my firstborn^(E) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?^(F)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly^(G) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly^[a](H) with your God.^(I)

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;^(B)
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll^(C)—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”^[a](D)